THIS IS MY COUTRY

‘This is my Country’ is a documentary photo project of Sjaak Verboom in which he explores the themes of identity and belonging.

Every photograph portrays two women, one of Dutch descent and the other of immigrant descent, surrounded by a typically Dutch landscape.

Both women have a Dutch passport.

Both are dressed in their own traditional clothing.

Clothing does not only cover our nakedness but also reveals our identity. The women express their identity, their heritage, and their belonging through their clothing.

By posing alongside someone with different dress, they break out of the exclusiveness of their group identity. “We both are, as we stand next to each other, human. Our clothing shows where we come from, but our pose highlights something much more important: we are human. Wife. Mother. We are Dutch.”

The photographs are complemented with interviews about

Family and Relationships. (Do you talk about sensitive issues within or outside the family? Can you children make their own decisions in regards to clothing, partners, et cetera)

Citizenship. (Do you vote? Are you active within your community? Where do you to be buried or cremated? This tells a lot about their sense of belonging)

Religion. (Do you view religion in the same way as your parents and grandparents?)